Spektitiitg-top



A. D. CONVERSE.

SPINNING TOP.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13. l9l8. RENEWED JUNE 27, 1,324,998

' Patented Dee.16,1919.

Inventor:

ton D. Conv UNITED STATES arana? OFFICE. A

ATHERTON D. CONVERSE, 0F WINCHENDON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPINNING-TOP.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 16, 1919.

Application filed June 13, 1918, Serial No. 239,772. Renewed June 27, 1919. Serial No. 307,254.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ATHERTON D. CON- vnnsn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Winchendon, Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spinning-Tops, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement upon the spinning top disclosed in application for Letters Patent of the United States, filed by me May 16th,.1918, No. 234,93et, and oneobject of my present invention is to simplify the construction and to render the device proof against damage should the winding handle or knob be turned in the wrong direction, as a small child might do.

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The drawing shows in Figure l a vertical sectional view of top and in Fig. 2 a bottom plan view of the winding spindle and the upper'half of the body of the .top.

Fig. 3 is a detail View of the slip connection between the winding spindle and the spring. V

In these drawings the body is shown as composed of upper and lower sections of a sheet metal shell, which are united with each other by having a flange 3 on the lower section spun over a flange on the upper section. The point on which the top spins consists of a stud or pin 4;, shouldered at 5, the shoulder bearing on a washer 6, and there is an interior washer 7, the metal of the shell being clamped between these washers.

The pin projects above the interior washer and affords a journal pin for the spindle 8,

the

the pin. This spindle is journaled in the upper shell of the top at the upper portion thereof and in the portion 9, which is attached to the upper shell, and a spiral spring 10 of light wire surrounds the spindle and has its upper end attached to the said shell, or body, at the upper part thereof. This attachment conveniently may be made by passing the end of the wire through an opening in the top of the shell, where it will be concealed by the shoulder portion, which is attached to the shell by its prongs or lugs 11 passingdown through openings in the shell 7 portion of the disk downwardly. spring keeps the disk pressed downwardly and clenched on the inside thereof, or this shoulder may be drawn from the metal.

The spindle is held against movement longitudinally in relation to the body by its upper shoulder 12, resting against the underside of the shell, and by the lower end of the spindle bearing on the upperinner extension of the point or pin, on which the top spins.

The lower end of the spring is connected to the spindle in such manner that if the knob or handle is turned the wrong way the connection allows free movement of the spindle, and thus renders the top proof against damage from backward turning of the han-' dle. This connection consists of a pinor pins 13, projecting from the spindle and adapted to engage with a tooth or tongue 14 on a plate or disk 15, loosely mounted on spindleto rotate backward while the disk remains at rest. This disk has the lower end of the spring attached thereto, for which purpose a lug or ear is cut out from the thin sheet metal of which the disk is composed, and this is bent over the lower spiral or turn of the spring and the end of the spr ng is passed through-an opening in the disk. When the spindle is rotated forwardly one of its pins will engage the tooth on the disk-and thus the spring will be wound'because its upper end is connected as above stated with the shell.

Should the spindle, however, be turned backwardly the pin thereon will move away from the tooth of the disk and as this tooth has aninclined lower side the pins can ride past the tooth in their backward movement 'without turning the disk, which remains which has a hole at its lower end receiving formed by making a cut in the metal substantially concentric with the spindle and the edge of the disk and bending the cut The so that when the spindle is rotated in the forward direction for winding the pin will properly engage the downwardly bent tooth to turn the disk and thus wind the spring but in the backward movement of the handle the disk can yield vertically, being simply. pressed down by the spring and this yield- .top

ing efiect will take place by the pin arriving at the inclined underside of the tooth. Instead of employing the tooth cut from the disk the end of the spring may be extended along the under face of the disk and spaced apart therefrom, so as to form a tooth or catch and this end of the spring may be inclined downwardly from the point where it leaves the disk, so that, the pin of the spindle in the backward movement will ride on this inclined end of the spring and the for the long light spring to unwind and it is not necessary in order to get the desired kick to release the handle suddenly.

' 'This form of long light spring is particularly desirable because tops of this character will be used mostly by small children, who naturally would not exercise the same amount of care as a grown person, and even should the child release the handle gradually the spring will still be unwinding to set the in spinning action. It will be observed that in assembling the parts the spindle with its spring and pin and, ratchet connection are assembled in connection wlth the upper section of the'shell or body and the spinning point or pin is assembled in connection with the lower section of the shell or body, and to complete the assembly it is necessary only to place the lower end of the spindle onto the upper end extension of the spinning point or pin with said extension entering the opening in the end of the spindle and this having been donethe upper shell will be seated with its flange within the upstanding flange of the lower shell and will be resting on a shoulder of said lower shell, and then by simply spinning the upstanding flange of the lower shell over the flange of the upper shell portion, the connection and assembly will be completed.

It will be understood that while I have shown the slip connection as consisting of the pin and ratchet at the lower end of the spindle these parts may be located at the upper endof the spindle, in which case the lower end of the spring would be connected to the body.

, Further while I have shown the ratchet or slip connection between the end of the spring and the spindle, such connection may be made between the end of, the spring and the body, inwhich case theoothergencl ofthe spring would be connected with the spindle. other words, the invention contemplates and embraces a spindle and a body with a spring so connected up by a slip or ratchet device with one or the other of said parts, spindle or body, that forward movement of the spindle relative to the body will wind the spring, but backward movement of the spindle will not affect the springvso far as its condition as to wind is concerned.

It will be observed thatthe spring performs in addition to its ordinary spinning function that of keeping the, parts of the ratchet connection in engagement and allows one part of said connection, e. the ratchet disk, in the form illustrated to yield axially when the spindle is turned in the wrong direction, and this permits one part of said ratchet to slip in relation to the other part.

What I claim is:

1. A spinning top comprising a body, a spindle journaled therein having a handle portion above the body and a spring to be wound by relatively turning said body and handle, and a slip connection between the spring and one of said parts, body or spindle, which will allow the handle portion and spindle to turn backward freely without affecting the condition of the spring as to its wind, but will wind said spring when the 9 handle and spindle are turned forwardly, said slip connection consisting of a pin projecting through the spindle, and a plate loose on the spindle above thepinbut pressed downwardly against said pin by the said spring, said plate having a projection with an inclined face allowing the pin to slip when the spindle is turned backward but to be engaged by said pin whenthe spindle is turned forward to .wind' the spring.

2. Aspinning top comprising a body, a spindle journaled therein, having a handle portion above the body'and a spring to be wound by relatively turning said body and handle and a slip connection between the spring and one of said parts, body or spindle, which will allow the handle portion and spindle to turn backward freely without affecting the condition ofthe spring as to its wind, but will wind said spring when the. handle and spindle are turned forwardly, one member of said slip connection being mounted to yieldin a direction longitudinally of the. spindle, but being pressed by said spring to engage the other member, substantially as described.

3. A spinning topcomprising a body, a spindle journaled therein having a handle portion above the body and a springto be wound by relatively turning said body and handle and, aslip connection between I the spring and one of said parts, body. or

spindle, which will allow the handle portion and spindle to turn backward, freely,

without afiecting the condition of the spring as to its wind, but will wind said spring when the handle and spindle are turned forwardly, said slip connection comprising a projection on the spindle, and a member pressed in the longitudinal direction of the spindle by the said spring to engage the projection when the spindle is turned forward but yielding under the pressure of said spring to allow the projection to pass freely when the spindle is turned backward, substantially as described.

4. In combination in a spinning top, a body, a spindle rotatively mounted therein and having a handle portion, a spiral spring connected with the body at one end, a member loosely mounted on the spindle and to which the other end of the spring is connected and a projection carried by the spindle and adapted to turn said loose member and wind the spring when the spindle is turned forward, but to slip in relation to said loose member when the spindle is turned backward, said loose member having a yielding movement longitudinally of the spindle in said slipping action, substantially as described.

5. In combination a shell comprising upper and lower sections, a spindle mounted in the upper section, a handle on the top of said spindle above the upper section, a spring having one end attached to said upper section and having its other end attached to the spindle, whereby said upper section carries the spindle, its handle and spring as one body independent of the lower section, and means for attaching the two shell sections together, substantially as described. I

6. In combination a shell comprising upper and lower sections, a spindle mounted in the upper section, a spring having one end attached to said upper section and having its other end attached to the spindle, whereby said upper section carries the spindle and spring as one body independent of the lower section and means for attaching the two shell sections together, and a bearing for the lower end of the spindle carried by the lower section and from which said spindle is freely removable, substantially as described.

7. In combination, a body composed of upper and lower sections, a spindle with a handle portion, a spiral spring surrounding the spindle and attached to the upper shell section, and a ratchet connection between the lower end of the spring and the spindle, to prevent damage if the spindle is turned the wrong way, said parts being assembled with the upper section as one body, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ATHERTON D. CONVERSE. 

